Has anyone tried the hitch alignment plates?

[leslie riggan]

I have been looking at these things and can't come to get one just yet due to questions/ concerns. Has anyone tried these things? If so does the tongue have the same amount of travel? I asked napa but they only have the fixed version. In this pic there is a pin in the top of the plate. This particular one is reversible to store out of the way. Seeing as how I have a lame back I need all the help I can get. Plus I am tired of getting out and looking, vs before I would just pick it up and be done.

 

[Kyle Ritter]

If ya back into that set up too hard you are still gonna bounce the boat off the tongue jack or over a tire chock. I've got 17years of hookin up race trailers and I've seen most of the gimmicks. There is no substitute for looking and patience. Just my 2 cents.

Kyle

 

[Ed L.]

Leslie,

I don't have a picture but my dad rigged up a truck mirror on a clamp that he'd place on the bow of the boat. He'd point the mirror at an angle so he could see the ball in the mirror as he backed up. Worked great for him if I wasn't around to help him hook up.

 

[Wispete]

Leslie On my previous truck I had a dent in the bumper and that lined up the trailer and that was free didn't cost me a dime. Now you might not want to do that with you truck but the resale value on a truck with a 150 thousand wasn't too high and a slight dent wasn't going to lower the valve more than .05 Cents.

Now I seen those SUV's at 55 thousand that have a back up camera

A cheaper version would be a mirror mounted on the back of the truck that you can see through your center back up mirror. This could have a magnetic mount or a permanent base that you can take the mirror on or off. This way you will be right on the money.

I mounted a handle on my trailer tongue so I don't have to bend over very far to make any slight adjustments. This perseveres the back.

Another option would be a mirror mounted on the trailer on a short post that you can see with the tail gate down. The post could also have a handle on it for lifting or moving the trailer tongue

I understand your point any thing you can do to persevere your back.

 

[Jim S]

Leslie,

A friend of mine built an alignment rod for his boat that sticks to the tounge with a magnet. He hitched the trailer to his truck, stuck the magnet on the tounge and drew a line around it with a paint marker, then he mounted a bent rod on the magnet that came over the top of the tailgate. When he would hitch the boat the rod would line up with a paint mark on the inside of the tailgate and the end of the rod would be flush with the inside of the tailgate.

When he got his Explorer he made another rod that would just touch a paint mark on the back window when the trailer was lined up.

Hope this helps.
Jim S